Neuro-linguistic programming is a specific technique to perform people how to think.
A pseudoscience that teaches people able to directly perceive a small part of the world using their conscious awareness. This view of the world comes from experience, beliefs, values, assumptions, and biological sensory systems. NLP technics argue that people act and feel based on their perception of the world and how they feel about that world subjectively.
NLP technics teach that language and behaviors (whether functional or dysfunctional) is structural. This structure can be ‘modeled’ or copied into a reproducible form. Using NLP, a person can ‘model’ the more successful parts of their own behavior to reproduce it in areas where they are less successful. They also can ‘model’ another person to effect belief and behavior changes to improve functioning. Someone can excel in some activity by learning and observing certain important details of their behavior. NLP embodies several techniques, including hypnotic techniques, which can affect changes in the way people think, learn, and communicate. NLP technics is a ‘toolbox’ that comes from other fields in collating its presuppositions and techniques.
Modeling
“Modeling” in NLP is the process of adopting the behaviors, language, strategies, and beliefs of another person or ‘build a model of what they do’. NLP founders said we can systematically get the same behavioral outcome as the person we have modeled. NLP consists of reduced ‘models’, consisting of patterns that can be more easily followed. The founders, Bandler and Grinder, started by analyzing in detail and then searching for what made successful psychotherapists different from their peers. The patterns discovered were developed over time and adapted for general communication and effecting change. The original models were: Milton Erickson (hypnotherapy), Virginia Satir (family therapy), and Fritz Perls (gestalt therapy).
NLP modeling methods unconsciously assimilate the tacit knowledge to learn what the master is doing of which the master is not aware. As an approach to learning it can involve modeling exceptional people. As Bandler and Grinder state “the function of NLP modeling is to arrive at useful descriptions. Einspruch & Forman 1985 state that when modeling another person the modeler suspends his or her own beliefs and adopts the structure of the physiology, language, strategies, and beliefs of the person being modeled.
After the modeler is capable of reproducing the patterns (of behavior, communication, and behavioral outcomes) of the model, a process occurs in which the modeler modifies and readopts his or her own belief system while also integrating the beliefs of the one model. Modeling is not restricted to therapy but can be applied to a broad range of human learning. Another aspect of modeling is understanding the patterns of one’s own behaviors to ‘model’ the more successful parts of oneself.
1. Rapport
The first aspect, building rapport, or empathy, is to achieve better communication and responsiveness. NLP teaches ‘mirroring’ or matching body language, posture, breathing, predicates, and voice tonality. Rapport is an aspect of ‘pacing’ or tuning into the client or learners’ world. Once you have pace, the practitioner can ‘lead’ by changing their behavior or perception so the other follows. O’Connor & Seymour in “Introducing NLP” describe rapport as a ‘harmonious dance’, an extension of natural skills, but warn against mimicry. Singer gives examples of the pantomime effect of mere mimicry by some practitioners which does not create rapport.
2. Overloading conscious attention
The second aspect of the Milton model is that it uses ambiguity in language and non-verbal communication. This might also be combined with vagueness, which arises when the boundaries of meaning are indistinct. The use of ambiguity and vagueness distracts the conscious mind as it tries to work out what it means which allows the unconscious mind to prosper.
3. Indirect communication
The third aspect of the Milton model is that it is purposely vague and metaphoric to access the unconscious mind. It softens the meta-model and makes indirect suggestions. A direct suggestion merely states what you want. For example, “when you are in front of the audience you will not feel nervous”.
In contrast, an indirect suggestion is less authoritative and leaves an opportunity for interpretation. For example, “When you are in front of the audience, you might find yourself feeling ever more confident”. This example follows the indirect method leaving both the specific time and level of self-confidence unspecified. It might be indirect by saying, “when you decide to speak in public, you may find it appealing how your feelings have changed”. The choice of speaking in front of the audience likely responses to the whole process but the imprecise language allows the client to fill in the finer details.
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